US20130202406A1 - Gas turbine engine thermal management system - Google Patents
Gas turbine engine thermal management system Download PDFInfo
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- US20130202406A1 US20130202406A1 US13/799,406 US201313799406A US2013202406A1 US 20130202406 A1 US20130202406 A1 US 20130202406A1 US 201313799406 A US201313799406 A US 201313799406A US 2013202406 A1 US2013202406 A1 US 2013202406A1
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
- F02C7/12—Cooling of plants
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01D—NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
- F01D25/00—Component parts, details, or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from, other groups
- F01D25/08—Cooling; Heating; Heat-insulation
- F01D25/12—Cooling
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C3/00—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid
- F02C3/04—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid having a turbine driving a compressor
- F02C3/08—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid having a turbine driving a compressor the compressor comprising at least one radial stage
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
- F02C7/06—Arrangements of bearings; Lubricating
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
- F02C7/08—Heating air supply before combustion, e.g. by exhaust gases
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
- F02C7/12—Cooling of plants
- F02C7/14—Cooling of plants of fluids in the plant, e.g. lubricant or fuel
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
- F02C7/22—Fuel supply systems
- F02C7/224—Heating fuel before feeding to the burner
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
- F02C7/22—Fuel supply systems
- F02C7/232—Fuel valves; Draining valves or systems
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C9/00—Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C9/00—Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants
- F02C9/48—Control of fuel supply conjointly with another control of the plant
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- G—PHYSICS
- G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
- G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
- G05B15/00—Systems controlled by a computer
- G05B15/02—Systems controlled by a computer electric
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- G—PHYSICS
- G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
- G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G05D7/00—Control of flow
- G05D7/06—Control of flow characterised by the use of electric means
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05D—INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F05D2220/00—Application
- F05D2220/30—Application in turbines
- F05D2220/32—Application in turbines in gas turbines
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05D—INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F05D2260/00—Function
- F05D2260/20—Heat transfer, e.g. cooling
- F05D2260/213—Heat transfer, e.g. cooling by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T50/00—Aeronautics or air transport
- Y02T50/60—Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
Definitions
- This disclosure relates generally to a gas turbine engine, and more particularly to a gas turbine engine thermal management system that manages the heat generated by a gas turbine engine.
- Gas turbine engines such as turbofan gas turbine engines, generally include a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. During operation, airflow is pressurized in the compressor section and is mixed with fuel and burned in the combustor section. The hot combustion gases that are generated in the combustor section are communicated through the turbine section. The turbine section extracts energy from the hot combustion gases to power the compressor section, the fan section and other gas turbine engine loads.
- a thermal management system can be employed within the gas turbine engine to manage the heat generated by the gas turbine engine.
- Thermal management systems maintain operable temperatures for the engine fuel, oil and other fluids that are communicated throughout the engine. For example, a portion of the heat of the engine oil can be transferred into the engine fuel to increase the efficiency of the gas turbine engine.
- a thermal management system for a gas turbine engine includes, among other things, a heat exchanger and a valve that controls an amount of a first fluid that is communicated through the heat exchanger
- a first sensor senses a first characteristic of a second fluid that is communicated through the heat exchanger to exchange heat with the first fluid and a second sensor senses a second characteristic of the second fluid.
- a positioning of the valve is based on at least one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.
- a controller is operable to receive a signal from each of the first sensor and the second sensor.
- the controller modulates the valve to communicate the amount of the first fluid to the heat exchanger in response to at least one of the signal from the first sensor and the signal from the second sensor.
- the first characteristic includes temperature information and the second characteristic includes pressure information.
- the controller modulates the valve to communicate the amount of the first fluid to the heat exchanger in response to at least one of: altitude information, ambient temperature information, or engine power condition information.
- the first sensor senses a temperature of the second fluid after the second fluid exits the heat exchanger.
- the system comprises a pump, and the second sensor senses a flow rate of the second fluid through the pump.
- the first fluid is oil and the second fluid is fuel.
- the heat exchanger is part of a first fluid circuit that also includes a second heat exchanger and a third heat exchanger.
- the heat exchanger is incorporated into a second fluid circuit in addition to the first fluid circuit.
- the first fluid circuit circulates oil.
- the second fluid circuit circulates fuel.
- the first fluid circuit incorporates a third heat exchanger.
- a method of controlling a thermal management system of a gas turbine engine includes, among other things, sensing a first characteristic of a first fluid, sensing a second characteristic of the first fluid, and controlling an amount of a second fluid that is communicated through a circuit of the thermal management system based on at least one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.
- the step of controlling includes closing a valve of the thermal management system to prevent the flow of the second fluid to a heat exchanger of the circuit during engine idle conditions.
- the step of controlling includes modulating a valve of the thermal management system to an intermediate position to communicate at least a portion of the second fluid to a heat exchanger of the circuit during engine cruise conditions.
- the step of controlling includes modulating a valve of the thermal management system to a fully open position to communicate the second fluid to a heat exchanger of the circuit during engine takeoff conditions.
- FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a gas turbine engine.
- FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary thermal management system for a gas turbine engine.
- FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a gas turbine engine 20 .
- the exemplary gas turbine engine 20 is a two-spool turbofan engine that generally incorporates a fan section 22 , a compressor section 24 , a combustor section 26 and a turbine section 28 .
- Alternative engines might include an augmenter section (not shown) among other systems for features.
- the fan section 22 drives air along a bypass flow path B, while the compressor section 24 drives air along a core flow path C for compression and communication into the combustor section 26 .
- the hot combustion gases generated in the combustor section 26 are expanded through the turbine section 28 .
- FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a gas turbine engine 20 .
- the exemplary gas turbine engine 20 is a two-spool turbofan engine that generally incorporates a fan section 22 , a compressor section 24 , a combustor section 26 and a turbine section 28 .
- Alternative engines might include an augmenter section (not shown) among other systems for features.
- the fan section 22 drives air
- the gas turbine engine 20 generally includes a low speed spool 30 and a high speed spool 32 mounted for rotation about an engine centerline longitudinal axis A.
- the low speed spool 30 and the high speed spool 32 may be mounted relative to an engine static structure 33 via several bearing systems 31 . It should be understood that other bearing systems 31 may alternatively or additionally be provided.
- the low speed spool 30 generally includes an inner shaft 34 that interconnects a fan 36 , a low pressure compressor 38 and a low pressure turbine 39 .
- the inner shaft 34 can be connected to the fan 36 through a geared architecture 45 to drive the fan 36 at a lower speed than the low speed spool 30 .
- the high speed spool 32 includes an outer shaft 35 that interconnects a high pressure compressor 37 and a high pressure turbine 40 .
- the inner shaft 34 and the outer shaft 35 are supported at various axial locations by bearing systems 31 positioned within the engine static structure 33 .
- a combustor 42 is arranged between the high pressure compressor 37 and the high pressure turbine 40 .
- a mid-turbine frame 44 may be arranged generally between the high pressure turbine 40 and the low pressure turbine 39 .
- the mid-turbine frame 44 can support one or more bearing systems 31 of the turbine section 28 .
- the mid-turbine frame 44 may include one or more airfoils 46 that extend within the core flow path C.
- the inner shaft 34 and the outer shaft 35 are concentric and rotate via the bearing systems 31 about the engine centerline longitudinal axis A, which is co-linear with their longitudinal axes.
- the core airflow is compressed by the low pressure compressor 38 and the high pressure compressor 37 , is mixed with fuel and burned in the combustor 42 , and is then expanded over the high pressure turbine 40 and the low pressure turbine 39 .
- the high pressure turbine 40 and the low pressure turbine 39 rotationally drive the respective high speed spool 32 and the low speed spool 30 in response to the expansion.
- the pressure ratio of the low pressure turbine 39 can be pressure measured prior to the inlet of the low pressure turbine 39 as related to the pressure at the outlet of the low pressure turbine 39 and prior to an exhaust nozzle of the gas turbine engine 20 .
- the bypass ratio of the gas turbine engine 20 is greater than about ten (10:1)
- the fan diameter is significantly larger than that of the low pressure compressor 38
- the low pressure turbine 39 has a pressure ratio that is greater than about five (5:1). It should be understood, however, that the above parameters are only exemplary of one embodiment of a geared architecture engine and that the present disclosure is applicable to other gas turbine engines, including direct drive turbofans.
- TSFC Thrust Specific Fuel Consumption
- Fan Pressure Ratio is the pressure ratio across a blade of the fan section 22 without the use of a Fan Exit Guide Vane system.
- the low Fan Pressure Ratio according to one non-limiting embodiment of the example gas turbine engine 20 is less than 1.45.
- Low Corrected Fan Tip Speed is the actual fan tip speed divided by an industry standard temperature correction of [(Tram ° R)/(518.7 ° R)] 0.5 .
- the Low Corrected Fan Tip Speed according to one non-limiting embodiment of the example gas turbine engine 20 is less than about 1150 fps (351 m/s).
- Each of the compressor section 24 and the turbine section 28 may include alternating rows of rotor assemblies and vane assemblies (shown schematically) that carry airfoils that extend into the core flow path C.
- the rotor assemblies can carry a plurality of rotating blades 25
- each vane assembly can carry a plurality of vanes 27 that extend into the core flow path C.
- the blades 25 create or extract energy (in the form of pressure) from the core airflow that is communicated through the gas turbine engine 20 along the core flow path C.
- the vanes 27 direct the core airflow to the blades 25 to either add or extract energy.
- gas turbine engine 20 generate heat during engine operation, including the fan section 22 , the compressor section 24 , the combustor section 26 and the turbine section 28 .
- This heat may be carried by fluids that are communicated throughout these and other various sections of the gas turbine engine 20 .
- engine fuel and engine oil are circulated throughout the gas turbine engine 20 and carry a portion of the heat that is generated during engine operation.
- the term “fluid” is intended to include fuel, oil, lubricating fluids, hydraulic fluids or any other fluids circulated through the gas turbine engine 20 .
- FIG. 2 illustrates a thermal management system 100 for a gas turbine engine, such as the gas turbine engine 20 illustrated by FIG. 1 .
- the thermal management system 100 can manage the heat generated by the gas turbine engine 20 during its operation.
- the thermal management system 100 can communicate conditioned fluids to various engine systems of the gas turbine engine 20 to minimize this heat generation and dissipate the heat.
- the thermal management system 100 can simultaneously deliver conditioned fluids having different temperatures to both low temperature systems and high temperature systems of the gas turbine engine 20 , as is further discussed below.
- the term “conditioned fluid” is intended to include heated, cooled and/or pressurized fluids. Of course, this view is highly schematic and is not necessarily shown to the scale it would be in practice.
- the thermal management system 100 is mounted to the gas turbine engine 20 .
- the mounting location of the thermal management system 100 is application specific.
- Non-limiting example mounting locations for the thermal management system 100 include the engine static structure 33 (see FIG. 1 ), a core compartment, a fan compartment, a bypass fan passage and other locations.
- the first fluid circuit 60 incorporates a fluid tank 64 , a first heat exchanger 66 , a second heat exchanger 68 , a third heat exchanger 70 and a pump 72 .
- the pump 72 pumps a first fluid (indicated by arrow 81 ), such as oil, from the fluid tank 64 along a passage 74 to an inlet 76 of the first heat exchanger 66 .
- the first fluid circuit 60 can include a filter 78 for filtering the first fluid 81 prior to communicating the first fluid 81 to the inlet 76 .
- the first fluid circuit 60 can include a trim passage 80 for returning a portion of the first fluid 81 to the fluid tank 64 in the event an excess amount of the first fluid 81 is pumped from the fluid tank 64 .
- the first fluid 81 is communicated through the first heat exchanger 66 and exchanges heat with a different, third fluid 82 , such as air, to condition the first fluid 81 .
- the first heat exchanger 66 is an air/oil cooler that exchanges heat between oil and air.
- Heat from the first fluid 81 is transferred into the third fluid 82 to provide a first conditioned fluid 83 that exits an outlet 84 of the first heat exchanger 66 .
- the first conditioned fluid 83 is communicated along a passage 86 to a valve 88 .
- the valve 88 controls the amount of the first conditioned fluid 83 that is communicated to the second heat exchanger 68 and the third heat exchanger 70 .
- the second heat exchanger 68 either receives an entirety of the first conditioned fluid 83 that is received by the valve 88 , or receives only a portion thereof, as is further detailed below.
- the first and second heat exchangers 66 , 68 are in continuous operation during operation of the thermal management system 100 , but the third heat exchanger 70 is only selectively operated as required.
- a first portion 85 of the first conditioned fluid 83 is communicated to an inlet 92 of the second heat exchanger 68 along a passage 90 .
- the first portion 85 of the first conditioned fluid 83 is communicated through the second heat exchanger 68 and exchanges heat with the second fluid 87 , such as fuel, that is circulated through the second fluid circuit 62 .
- the second heat exchanger 68 renders a second conditioned fluid 89 which is communicated through an outlet 94 of the second heat exchanger 68 and into a passage 96 .
- a second portion 91 of the first conditioned fluid 83 can be communicated along a passage 98 to an inlet 102 of the third heat exchanger 70 .
- the second portion 91 of the first conditioned fluid 83 is communicated through the third heat exchanger 70 and exchanges heat with yet another fluid 104 , such as air, to render a third conditioned fluid 93 that exits the third heat exchanger 70 at outlet 106 .
- the third conditioned fluid 93 from the third heat exchanger 70 is communicated along a passage 108 and is eventually communicated into the passage 96 such that the second conditioned fluid 89 from the second heat exchanger 68 and the third conditioned fluid 93 from the third heat exchanger 70 are mixed together to render a mixed conditioned fluid 95 .
- a first portion 97 of the mixed conditioned fluid 95 is communicated to a first engine system 110 along a passage 112 .
- a second portion 99 of the mixed conditioned fluid 95 is communicated along passage 114 and is mixed with a third portion 101 of the first conditioned fluid 83 (communicated from the first heat exchanger 66 along a bypass passage 116 that extends between the first heat exchanger 66 and a second engine system 118 ) and is communicated to a second engine system 118 .
- conditioned fluids having varying temperatures can be delivered to separate engine systems.
- a mixture of the second portion 99 of the mixed conditioned fluid 95 and the third portion 101 of the first conditioned fluid 83 can include a greater temperature than the first portion 97 of the mixed conditioned fluid 95 .
- the first engine system 110 could include a portion of the geared architecture 48 of the fan section 22 , such as journal bearings or other parts of the geared architecture 48 .
- the second engine system 118 could include an engine bearing compartment, an engine gearbox or a drive mechanism of the geared architecture 48 . Although only two engine systems are illustrated, it should be understood that additional or fewer engine systems can receive conditioned fluids from the thermal management system 100 .
- the second fluid circuit 62 of the thermal management system 100 includes a fluid tank 120 , the second heat exchanger 68 (which is also incorporated into the first fluid circuit 60 ) and a pump 122 .
- the second fluid circuit 62 can also optionally include a secondary pump 136 .
- the fluid tank 120 stores the second fluid 87 that is different from the first fluid 81 for use by the gas turbine engine 20 .
- the second fluid 87 is fuel.
- the pump 122 pumps the second fluid 87 from the fluid tank 120 along a passage 124 and through the second heat exchanger 68 along a passage 126 to extract heat from the first portion 85 of the first conditioned fluid 83 that is communicated through the second heat exchanger 68 in the first fluid circuit 60 .
- a conditioned second fluid 105 is delivered along a passage 128 to a portion of the gas turbine engine, such as the combustor section 26 for generating the hot combustion gases that flow to the turbine section 28 .
- a portion 107 of the conditioned second fluid 105 can be returned to the passage 124 via a bypass passage 130 .
- the second fluid circuit 62 can also incorporate a sensor 132 (i.e., a first sensor), such as a temperature sensor or other suitable sensor.
- the sensor 132 monitors the temperature of the conditioned second fluid 105 .
- the sensor 132 communicates with an engine controller 134 .
- the engine controller 134 is programed with the necessary logic to interpret the information from the sensor 132 , among other information, and modulate a positioning of the valve 88 .
- the position of the valve 88 establishes what amount, if any, of the first conditioned fluid 83 will be communicated to the second and third heat exchangers 68 , 70 . In other words, the position of the valve 88 controls the amount of heat added to the second fluid 87 at different engine power conditions.
- Other valves, sensors and controls, examples of which are described below, could also be incorporated into the thermal management system 100 .
- the third heat exchanger 70 receives a portion of the first conditioned fluid 83 only if a temperature of the conditioned second fluid 105 of the second fluid circuit 62 is above a predefined threshold.
- the pre-defined threshold is approximately 300° F./148.9° C., although the actual setting will depend on design specific parameters. If the sensor 132 alerts the engine controller 134 (via a signal, for example) that this predefined threshold has been exceeded, the engine controller 134 modulates the valve 88 to split a flow of the first conditioned fluid 83 between the second heat exchanger 68 and the third heat exchanger 70 .
- the second fluid circuit 62 of the thermal management system 100 can incorporate an additional sensor 140 (i.e., a second sensor) that is configured to sense a different characteristic from the sensor 132 .
- the sensor 140 is a fluid flow sensor that senses the flow rate, which may be based on pressure differentials, of the conditioned second fluid 105 that passes through the pump 122 .
- the sensor 140 monitors the flow rate of the conditioned second fluid 105 and can communicate flow rate information (i.e., pressure information) to the engine controller 134 for controlling a positioning of the valve 88 .
- the engine controller 134 may be programed with the necessary logic to interpret the information from the sensor 140 and modulate a positioning of the valve 88 .
- a positioning of the valve 88 can be controlled based on the flow rate information sensed by the sensor 140 to control what amount, if any, of the first conditioned fluid 83 will be communicated to the second and/or third heat exchangers 68 , 70 .
- the amount of the first conditioned fluid 83 communicated to the second heat exchanger 68 is based on the flow rate information sensed by the sensor 140 (i.e., a first characteristic of the conditioned second fluid 105 ) and the amount of the first conditioned fluid 83 communicated to the third heat exchanger 70 is based on the temperature information sensed by the sensor 132 (i.e., a second characteristic of the conditioned second fluid 105 ).
- the thermal management system 100 can be controlled similar to the following schedule.
- the engine controller 134 may close the valve 88 to prevent the flow of the first conditioned fluid 83 to the second and/or third heat exchangers 68 , 70 .
- the valve 88 may be modulated to an intermediate position (in response to a command from the engine controller 134 ) to communicate at least a portion of the first conditioned fluid 83 to the second and/or third heat exchangers 68 , 70 .
- valve 88 may be modulated to a fully open position to communicate an increased amount of the first conditioned fluid 83 through the first and/or second heat exchangers 68 , 70 .
- the schedule for controlling the positioning of the valve 88 is not intended to be limited to one that is a function of fluid temperature and/or pressure. Rather, the schedule for controlling the positioning of the valve 88 may be a function of other characteristics, including but not limited to, altitude information, ambient temperature information, and engine power condition information.
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Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/285,454, which was filed on Oct. 31, 2011.
- This disclosure relates generally to a gas turbine engine, and more particularly to a gas turbine engine thermal management system that manages the heat generated by a gas turbine engine.
- Gas turbine engines, such as turbofan gas turbine engines, generally include a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. During operation, airflow is pressurized in the compressor section and is mixed with fuel and burned in the combustor section. The hot combustion gases that are generated in the combustor section are communicated through the turbine section. The turbine section extracts energy from the hot combustion gases to power the compressor section, the fan section and other gas turbine engine loads.
- A thermal management system can be employed within the gas turbine engine to manage the heat generated by the gas turbine engine. Thermal management systems maintain operable temperatures for the engine fuel, oil and other fluids that are communicated throughout the engine. For example, a portion of the heat of the engine oil can be transferred into the engine fuel to increase the efficiency of the gas turbine engine.
- A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a heat exchanger and a valve that controls an amount of a first fluid that is communicated through the heat exchanger A first sensor senses a first characteristic of a second fluid that is communicated through the heat exchanger to exchange heat with the first fluid and a second sensor senses a second characteristic of the second fluid. A positioning of the valve is based on at least one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing system, a controller is operable to receive a signal from each of the first sensor and the second sensor.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of either of the foregoing systems, the controller modulates the valve to communicate the amount of the first fluid to the heat exchanger in response to at least one of the signal from the first sensor and the signal from the second sensor.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing systems, the first characteristic includes temperature information and the second characteristic includes pressure information.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing systems, the controller modulates the valve to communicate the amount of the first fluid to the heat exchanger in response to at least one of: altitude information, ambient temperature information, or engine power condition information.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing systems, the first sensor senses a temperature of the second fluid after the second fluid exits the heat exchanger.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing systems, the system comprises a pump, and the second sensor senses a flow rate of the second fluid through the pump.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing systems, the first fluid is oil and the second fluid is fuel.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing systems, the heat exchanger is part of a first fluid circuit that also includes a second heat exchanger and a third heat exchanger.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing systems, the heat exchanger is incorporated into a second fluid circuit in addition to the first fluid circuit.
- A gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a thermal management system that includes a first fluid circuit and a second fluid circuit that manage heat generated in at least a portion of the gas turbine engine. A first heat exchanger is incorporated into each of the first fluid circuit and the second fluid circuit and a second heat exchanger is incorporated into the first fluid circuit. A valve controls an amount of a first fluid that is communicated to the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. A controller is configured to control a positioning of the valve. The amount of the first fluid communicated to the first heat exchanger is based on a first characteristic of a second fluid and the amount of the first fluid communicated to the second heat exchanger is based on a second characteristic of the second fluid.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing gas turbine engine, the first fluid circuit circulates oil.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of either of the foregoing gas turbine engines, the second fluid circuit circulates fuel.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing gas turbine engines, a first sensor senses the first characteristic and a second sensor senses the second characteristic.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing gas turbine engines, the first fluid circuit incorporates a third heat exchanger.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing gas turbine engines, the first fluid circuit communicates a conditioned first fluid to at least one engine system and the second fluid circuit communicates a conditioned second fluid to at least a combustor section of the gas turbine engine.
- A method of controlling a thermal management system of a gas turbine engine according to another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, sensing a first characteristic of a first fluid, sensing a second characteristic of the first fluid, and controlling an amount of a second fluid that is communicated through a circuit of the thermal management system based on at least one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing method, the step of controlling includes closing a valve of the thermal management system to prevent the flow of the second fluid to a heat exchanger of the circuit during engine idle conditions.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of either of the foregoing methods, the step of controlling includes modulating a valve of the thermal management system to an intermediate position to communicate at least a portion of the second fluid to a heat exchanger of the circuit during engine cruise conditions.
- In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the step of controlling includes modulating a valve of the thermal management system to a fully open position to communicate the second fluid to a heat exchanger of the circuit during engine takeoff conditions.
- The various features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.
-
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a gas turbine engine. -
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary thermal management system for a gas turbine engine. -
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates agas turbine engine 20. The exemplarygas turbine engine 20 is a two-spool turbofan engine that generally incorporates afan section 22, a compressor section 24, acombustor section 26 and aturbine section 28. Alternative engines might include an augmenter section (not shown) among other systems for features. Thefan section 22 drives air along a bypass flow path B, while the compressor section 24 drives air along a core flow path C for compression and communication into thecombustor section 26. The hot combustion gases generated in thecombustor section 26 are expanded through theturbine section 28. Although depicted as a turbofan gas turbine engine in the disclosed non-limiting embodiment, it should be understood that the concepts described herein are not limited to turbofan engines and these teachings could extend to other types of engines, including but not limited to, three-spool engine architectures. - The
gas turbine engine 20 generally includes alow speed spool 30 and ahigh speed spool 32 mounted for rotation about an engine centerline longitudinal axis A. Thelow speed spool 30 and thehigh speed spool 32 may be mounted relative to an enginestatic structure 33 viaseveral bearing systems 31. It should be understood thatother bearing systems 31 may alternatively or additionally be provided. - The
low speed spool 30 generally includes aninner shaft 34 that interconnects afan 36, alow pressure compressor 38 and alow pressure turbine 39. Theinner shaft 34 can be connected to thefan 36 through a gearedarchitecture 45 to drive thefan 36 at a lower speed than thelow speed spool 30. Thehigh speed spool 32 includes anouter shaft 35 that interconnects ahigh pressure compressor 37 and ahigh pressure turbine 40. In this embodiment, theinner shaft 34 and theouter shaft 35 are supported at various axial locations bybearing systems 31 positioned within the enginestatic structure 33. - A
combustor 42 is arranged between thehigh pressure compressor 37 and thehigh pressure turbine 40. Amid-turbine frame 44 may be arranged generally between thehigh pressure turbine 40 and thelow pressure turbine 39. Themid-turbine frame 44 can support one or more bearingsystems 31 of theturbine section 28. Themid-turbine frame 44 may include one ormore airfoils 46 that extend within the core flow path C. - The
inner shaft 34 and theouter shaft 35 are concentric and rotate via thebearing systems 31 about the engine centerline longitudinal axis A, which is co-linear with their longitudinal axes. The core airflow is compressed by thelow pressure compressor 38 and thehigh pressure compressor 37, is mixed with fuel and burned in thecombustor 42, and is then expanded over thehigh pressure turbine 40 and thelow pressure turbine 39. Thehigh pressure turbine 40 and thelow pressure turbine 39 rotationally drive the respectivehigh speed spool 32 and thelow speed spool 30 in response to the expansion. - The pressure ratio of the
low pressure turbine 39 can be pressure measured prior to the inlet of thelow pressure turbine 39 as related to the pressure at the outlet of thelow pressure turbine 39 and prior to an exhaust nozzle of thegas turbine engine 20. In one non-limiting embodiment, the bypass ratio of thegas turbine engine 20 is greater than about ten (10:1), the fan diameter is significantly larger than that of thelow pressure compressor 38, and thelow pressure turbine 39 has a pressure ratio that is greater than about five (5:1). It should be understood, however, that the above parameters are only exemplary of one embodiment of a geared architecture engine and that the present disclosure is applicable to other gas turbine engines, including direct drive turbofans. - In this embodiment of the exemplary
gas turbine engine 20, a significant amount of thrust is provided by the bypass flow path B due to the high bypass ratio. Thefan section 22 of thegas turbine engine 20 is designed for a particular flight condition—typically cruise at about 0.8 Mach and about 35,000 feet. This flight condition, with thegas turbine engine 20 at its best fuel consumption, is also known as bucket cruise Thrust Specific Fuel Consumption (TSFC). TSFC is an industry standard parameter of fuel consumption per unit of thrust. - Fan Pressure Ratio is the pressure ratio across a blade of the
fan section 22 without the use of a Fan Exit Guide Vane system. The low Fan Pressure Ratio according to one non-limiting embodiment of the examplegas turbine engine 20 is less than 1.45. Low Corrected Fan Tip Speed is the actual fan tip speed divided by an industry standard temperature correction of [(Tram ° R)/(518.7 ° R)]0.5. The Low Corrected Fan Tip Speed according to one non-limiting embodiment of the examplegas turbine engine 20 is less than about 1150 fps (351 m/s). - Each of the compressor section 24 and the
turbine section 28 may include alternating rows of rotor assemblies and vane assemblies (shown schematically) that carry airfoils that extend into the core flow path C. For example, the rotor assemblies can carry a plurality ofrotating blades 25, while each vane assembly can carry a plurality ofvanes 27 that extend into the core flow path C. Theblades 25 create or extract energy (in the form of pressure) from the core airflow that is communicated through thegas turbine engine 20 along the core flow path C. Thevanes 27 direct the core airflow to theblades 25 to either add or extract energy. - Multiple sections of the
gas turbine engine 20 generate heat during engine operation, including thefan section 22, the compressor section 24, thecombustor section 26 and theturbine section 28. This heat may be carried by fluids that are communicated throughout these and other various sections of thegas turbine engine 20. For example, engine fuel and engine oil are circulated throughout thegas turbine engine 20 and carry a portion of the heat that is generated during engine operation. In this disclosure, the term “fluid” is intended to include fuel, oil, lubricating fluids, hydraulic fluids or any other fluids circulated through thegas turbine engine 20. -
FIG. 2 illustrates athermal management system 100 for a gas turbine engine, such as thegas turbine engine 20 illustrated byFIG. 1 . Thethermal management system 100 can manage the heat generated by thegas turbine engine 20 during its operation. Thethermal management system 100 can communicate conditioned fluids to various engine systems of thegas turbine engine 20 to minimize this heat generation and dissipate the heat. For example, thethermal management system 100 can simultaneously deliver conditioned fluids having different temperatures to both low temperature systems and high temperature systems of thegas turbine engine 20, as is further discussed below. In this disclosure, the term “conditioned fluid” is intended to include heated, cooled and/or pressurized fluids. Of course, this view is highly schematic and is not necessarily shown to the scale it would be in practice. - The
thermal management system 100 is mounted to thegas turbine engine 20. The mounting location of thethermal management system 100 is application specific. Non-limiting example mounting locations for thethermal management system 100 include the engine static structure 33 (seeFIG. 1 ), a core compartment, a fan compartment, a bypass fan passage and other locations. - The
thermal management system 100 includes afirst fluid circuit 60 and a second fluid circuit 62. For example, thefirst fluid circuit 60 can circulate a first fluid 81, such as engine oil, and the second fluid circuit 62 can circulate asecond fluid 87, such as engine fuel. It should be understood that other fluids in addition to oil and fuel are contemplated as within the scope of this disclosure. In combination, thefirst fluid circuit 60 and the second fluid circuit 62 transfer heat between the fluids communicated through theseparate circuits 60, 62 to manage the temperatures of these fluids, as is further discussed below. - The
first fluid circuit 60 incorporates afluid tank 64, afirst heat exchanger 66, asecond heat exchanger 68, athird heat exchanger 70 and apump 72. Thepump 72 pumps a first fluid (indicated by arrow 81), such as oil, from thefluid tank 64 along apassage 74 to aninlet 76 of thefirst heat exchanger 66. Optionally, thefirst fluid circuit 60 can include afilter 78 for filtering the first fluid 81 prior to communicating the first fluid 81 to theinlet 76. Additionally, thefirst fluid circuit 60 can include a trim passage 80 for returning a portion of the first fluid 81 to thefluid tank 64 in the event an excess amount of the first fluid 81 is pumped from thefluid tank 64. - The first fluid 81 is communicated through the
first heat exchanger 66 and exchanges heat with a different,third fluid 82, such as air, to condition the first fluid 81. In this example, thefirst heat exchanger 66 is an air/oil cooler that exchanges heat between oil and air. However, other types of heat exchangers can also be utilized. Heat from the first fluid 81 is transferred into thethird fluid 82 to provide a first conditionedfluid 83 that exits anoutlet 84 of thefirst heat exchanger 66. - The first conditioned
fluid 83 is communicated along apassage 86 to avalve 88. Thevalve 88 controls the amount of the first conditionedfluid 83 that is communicated to thesecond heat exchanger 68 and thethird heat exchanger 70. In one embodiment, thesecond heat exchanger 68 either receives an entirety of the first conditionedfluid 83 that is received by thevalve 88, or receives only a portion thereof, as is further detailed below. In other words, the first andsecond heat exchangers thermal management system 100, but thethird heat exchanger 70 is only selectively operated as required. - A
first portion 85 of the first conditionedfluid 83 is communicated to aninlet 92 of thesecond heat exchanger 68 along apassage 90. Thefirst portion 85 of the first conditionedfluid 83 is communicated through thesecond heat exchanger 68 and exchanges heat with thesecond fluid 87, such as fuel, that is circulated through the second fluid circuit 62. Thesecond heat exchanger 68 renders a second conditionedfluid 89 which is communicated through anoutlet 94 of thesecond heat exchanger 68 and into apassage 96. - To the extent the
third heat exchanger 70 receives a portion of the first conditioned fluid 83 (discussed in greater detail below), asecond portion 91 of the first conditionedfluid 83 can be communicated along apassage 98 to an inlet 102 of thethird heat exchanger 70. Thesecond portion 91 of the first conditionedfluid 83 is communicated through thethird heat exchanger 70 and exchanges heat with yet another fluid 104, such as air, to render a thirdconditioned fluid 93 that exits thethird heat exchanger 70 atoutlet 106. The third conditioned fluid 93 from thethird heat exchanger 70 is communicated along apassage 108 and is eventually communicated into thepassage 96 such that the second conditionedfluid 89 from thesecond heat exchanger 68 and the third conditioned fluid 93 from thethird heat exchanger 70 are mixed together to render a mixed conditionedfluid 95. - A
first portion 97 of the mixed conditionedfluid 95 is communicated to afirst engine system 110 along apassage 112. Asecond portion 99 of the mixed conditionedfluid 95 is communicated alongpassage 114 and is mixed with athird portion 101 of the first conditioned fluid 83 (communicated from thefirst heat exchanger 66 along abypass passage 116 that extends between thefirst heat exchanger 66 and a second engine system 118) and is communicated to asecond engine system 118. In this way, conditioned fluids having varying temperatures can be delivered to separate engine systems. For example, a mixture of thesecond portion 99 of the mixed conditionedfluid 95 and thethird portion 101 of the first conditionedfluid 83 can include a greater temperature than thefirst portion 97 of the mixed conditionedfluid 95. - The
first engine system 110 could include a portion of the geared architecture 48 of thefan section 22, such as journal bearings or other parts of the geared architecture 48. Thesecond engine system 118 could include an engine bearing compartment, an engine gearbox or a drive mechanism of the geared architecture 48. Although only two engine systems are illustrated, it should be understood that additional or fewer engine systems can receive conditioned fluids from thethermal management system 100. - The second fluid circuit 62 of the
thermal management system 100 includes afluid tank 120, the second heat exchanger 68 (which is also incorporated into the first fluid circuit 60) and apump 122. The second fluid circuit 62 can also optionally include asecondary pump 136. - The
fluid tank 120 stores thesecond fluid 87 that is different from the first fluid 81 for use by thegas turbine engine 20. In one example, thesecond fluid 87 is fuel. Thepump 122 pumps the second fluid 87 from thefluid tank 120 along a passage 124 and through thesecond heat exchanger 68 along apassage 126 to extract heat from thefirst portion 85 of the first conditionedfluid 83 that is communicated through thesecond heat exchanger 68 in thefirst fluid circuit 60. A conditionedsecond fluid 105 is delivered along apassage 128 to a portion of the gas turbine engine, such as thecombustor section 26 for generating the hot combustion gases that flow to theturbine section 28. Aportion 107 of the conditionedsecond fluid 105 can be returned to the passage 124 via abypass passage 130. - The second fluid circuit 62 can also incorporate a sensor 132 (i.e., a first sensor), such as a temperature sensor or other suitable sensor. The
sensor 132 monitors the temperature of the conditionedsecond fluid 105. Thesensor 132 communicates with anengine controller 134. Theengine controller 134 is programed with the necessary logic to interpret the information from thesensor 132, among other information, and modulate a positioning of thevalve 88. The position of thevalve 88 establishes what amount, if any, of the first conditionedfluid 83 will be communicated to the second andthird heat exchangers valve 88 controls the amount of heat added to thesecond fluid 87 at different engine power conditions. Other valves, sensors and controls, examples of which are described below, could also be incorporated into thethermal management system 100. - In one example, the
third heat exchanger 70 receives a portion of the first conditionedfluid 83 only if a temperature of the conditionedsecond fluid 105 of the second fluid circuit 62 is above a predefined threshold. In one example, the pre-defined threshold is approximately 300° F./148.9° C., although the actual setting will depend on design specific parameters. If thesensor 132 alerts the engine controller 134 (via a signal, for example) that this predefined threshold has been exceeded, theengine controller 134 modulates thevalve 88 to split a flow of the first conditionedfluid 83 between thesecond heat exchanger 68 and thethird heat exchanger 70. Of course, other parameters can also be monitored and interpreted by theengine controller 134 in addition to the temperature fromsensor 132, and other predefined thresholds can be set for controlling thevalve 88. The actual amount of the first conditionedfluid 83 that is communicated to each of the second andthird heat exchangers engine controller 134. - In another example, the second fluid circuit 62 of the
thermal management system 100 can incorporate an additional sensor 140 (i.e., a second sensor) that is configured to sense a different characteristic from thesensor 132. In one embodiment, thesensor 140 is a fluid flow sensor that senses the flow rate, which may be based on pressure differentials, of the conditionedsecond fluid 105 that passes through thepump 122. Thesensor 140 monitors the flow rate of the conditionedsecond fluid 105 and can communicate flow rate information (i.e., pressure information) to theengine controller 134 for controlling a positioning of thevalve 88. Theengine controller 134 may be programed with the necessary logic to interpret the information from thesensor 140 and modulate a positioning of thevalve 88. - For example, in addition to or in lieu of the information from the
sensor 132, a positioning of thevalve 88 can be controlled based on the flow rate information sensed by thesensor 140 to control what amount, if any, of the first conditionedfluid 83 will be communicated to the second and/orthird heat exchangers fluid 83 communicated to thesecond heat exchanger 68 is based on the flow rate information sensed by the sensor 140 (i.e., a first characteristic of the conditioned second fluid 105) and the amount of the first conditionedfluid 83 communicated to thethird heat exchanger 70 is based on the temperature information sensed by the sensor 132 (i.e., a second characteristic of the conditioned second fluid 105). - In one non-limiting embodiment, the
thermal management system 100 can be controlled similar to the following schedule. In response to thesensor 140 sensing relatively low flow of the conditionedsecond fluid 105, such as during engine idle conditions, theengine controller 134 may close thevalve 88 to prevent the flow of the first conditionedfluid 83 to the second and/orthird heat exchangers sensor 140 senses median flow of the conditionedsecond fluid 105, such as during engine cruise conditions, thevalve 88 may be modulated to an intermediate position (in response to a command from the engine controller 134) to communicate at least a portion of the first conditionedfluid 83 to the second and/orthird heat exchangers sensor 140 sensing relatively high flow of the conditionedsecond fluid 105, such as during engine takeoff conditions, thevalve 88 may be modulated to a fully open position to communicate an increased amount of the first conditionedfluid 83 through the first and/orsecond heat exchangers - The schedule for controlling the positioning of the
valve 88 is not intended to be limited to one that is a function of fluid temperature and/or pressure. Rather, the schedule for controlling the positioning of thevalve 88 may be a function of other characteristics, including but not limited to, altitude information, ambient temperature information, and engine power condition information. - Although the different non-limiting embodiments are illustrated as having specific components, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from any of the non-limiting embodiments in combination with features or components from any of the other non-limiting embodiments.
- It should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. It should also be understood that although a particular component arrangement is disclosed and illustrated in these exemplary embodiments, other arrangements could also benefit from the teachings of this disclosure.
- The foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. A worker of ordinary skill in the art would understand that certain modifications could come within the scope of this disclosure. For these reasons, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.
Claims (20)
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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US9038397B2 (en) | 2015-05-26 |
US9334802B2 (en) | 2016-05-10 |
US20140360153A1 (en) | 2014-12-11 |
US10400671B2 (en) | 2019-09-03 |
US20160201557A1 (en) | 2016-07-14 |
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